Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 2014, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (03): 285-303.

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Observations of Microblade Core Technologies from Level 5 of the Xuchang Man Site, Lingjing

LI Zhanyang, LI Yanan, KATO Shinji   

  • Online:2014-09-15 Published:2014-09-15

Abstract: The Lingjing Xuchang Man site, first discovered in 1965, is located in the western part of Lingjing County, Xuchang Town, Henan Province, with an overall coverage of more than 30 km2. The first season of excavation was carried out in 2005. Cultural deposits reach up to 9 meters thick and include 11 levels. microliths, early ceramics, a bird figurine, fossil animals, flaked stone artifacts, ostrich eggshells, drilled ostrich eggshell ornaments and, ochre were found in Level 5, and a human fossil cranium, dating roughly 100 kaBP, was unearthed from Level 11. Eighty-two microblade cores examined in this paper were unearthed from Level 5 during excavations from 2008 to 2013. Level 5 is an orange and fine sand layer, dating back 13500±406 BP. Raw materials for microblade cores were usually flint cobbles, flakes or pebbles. According to the shapes of blanks, a variety of microblade cores were recognized, including pyramidal cores, cylindrical cores, conical cores etc. During microblade production, a couple of rejuvenation techniques were practiced, such as retouching platforms or the top of work surfaces, renewing platforms or shifting position of platforms. By comparison, the size of the Lingjing cores is very similar with other sites in north China, and the microblade technologies of Lingjing, Dagang and Lijiagou sites (all within Henan Province) belong to the same stone industrial tradition.

Key words: Lingjing; Microblade core; Xuchang Man; Henan Province